


When the Wall Fell

by danke_rose



Category: Excalibur (Comic), X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/M, Not Canon Compliant, Romance, kurtty - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-11 12:12:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19109419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danke_rose/pseuds/danke_rose
Summary: Several versions of what might have happened after the Marvel Presents short comic "Demon's Choice" from issue 5 (2019).  All about Kurt and Kitty and all about love.  (Not in canon)





	1. Start of Something

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mikeellee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikeellee/gifts).



> I said I won't write smut, yet here I am with smut. It's my first so if you comment, I ask that you please be kind.  
> This came out of a conversation with Mikeellee, and this is for her, with thanks for helping me stretch and grow as a writer. 
> 
> If you enjoy Kurtty, this comic was a fun read, and the art is fantastic. It was a fun surprise in a story I expected to be very Nightcrawler-centric. 
> 
> There are two chapters, which are two versions of what might have happened, one that's the start of something and one that's a continuation. The chapter titles should indicate which is which.
> 
> Important notes: In these stories, Kitty is a consenting adult, hence they are very canon divergent. I do not deal with pedophilia. I will not capitalize the word nazi. Those assholes don't deserve the respect that a capital letter implies. Don't ask me to. I won't do it. My characters always practice safe sex, even if it is not explicitly stated.
> 
> Some of the dialogue is paraphrased from the comic. All credit to writer Chris Claremont.

 

The letdown was palpable. Silence reigned in the crowded train car Excalibur's team used as a makeshift living space. Missing the professor and the Starjammers by seconds had dialed up all their anxieties about this adventure through copycat worlds. One after the other failed to be home, and Kitty wondered, as she had on countless other occasions, if they would ever find their way back. She rubbed Lockheed's back and pouted over the near-miss.

 _If only, if only_ played on loop in her head. If only they had waited a few more minutes. If only they could have stopped Widget's jaunt. If only they knew how to direct Widget home. If only they knew how the portals worked. Then the accompanying questions: Was that really the professor? Was he traveling the multiverse, too? Was he another doppelganger?

Lockheed picked up his chin at her heavy sigh, as Kurt slid onto the end of the bench by her feet.

“Still upset about leaving Barsoom, Kitty?”

“No, not really. Maybe a little. I want to find our _real_ home. I just wish we could have talked to the professor.” She leaned forward, almost conspiratorially. “Do you think it was really him?”

Kurt settled easily onto the bench, one foot swinging off the edge. He'd changed into his usual uniform, as they all had once they left Barsoom. Kitty's “drafty” outfit was hung up behind her. She could feel the wisp of the soft fabric brushing the back of her hair. She had hated those clothes when they first arrived, but after being there for several months, she had gotten used to them. She'd made a few adjustments so she didn't feel quite so exposed, and after that, she had to admit, they were kind of fun. They reminded her of some of the wild getups she conjured in the Shi'Ar clothes-maker years ago. That was one of her first adventures alone with Kurt, when they had to work together to save the world. She smiled slightly at the memory.

“I've no idea,” Kurt said, answering her question about the professor.

Kitty shook herself from her daydreams.

“Probably wasn't him,” Kurt continued. “Though I have to agree, even a doppelganger of the professor might have had some insight for us. But there's nothing to do about it now. We can only look forward and hope for the best. Right, Lockheed?” The little dragon made a sound of agreement and tilted his head for Kitty to scratch under his chin.

Kitty glanced around the train car at her friends. Meggan and Brian were talking quietly. Alistaire was reading a book he'd been given a few worlds back. Rachel was asleep. Kurt alone was smiling, scratching Lockheed between his wings so that he crawled from Kitty's lap to sit beside Kurt instead.

“Traitor,” she muttered without resentment. Kitty hadn't failed to notice how Lockheed had taken a liking to Kurt lately. She assumed it had something to do with back scratches and extra treats from the dinner table, but she had no proof of the latter.

Kitty scooted closer to both of them, and rested her head on Kurt's shoulder. “Sorry I'm having a pity party today,” she said.

He patted her hand and continued scratching Lockheed. “We all have our moments _K_ _ä_ _tzchen_ , myself included. For what it's worth, I still believe we'll get home.”

The train began to rumble as they descended to the next world. Kitty turned around on the bench to peer out the train window, clutching the seat back for support. Things had a tendency to go flying out during landings. On second thought, she reached over and grabbed Kurt's hand. Losing him in the last landing had been the main reason Anjulie even factored into that situation, after all. Kitty frowned. She wanted to ask Kurt about that, but there really wasn't a tactful way to ask someone how they wound up having sex with an evil dictator on an alien world. She sighed, and Kurt thought it was because this was not home at all.

She confirmed his suspicion by saying, “I don't think this is Kansas.” They both pressed their faces closer to the window and stared at the dark greenery below.

“No Dorothy, I don't think it is.”

  
  


The team's mood improved over the course of the next few worlds. None of them were home, each one was still stranger than the last, and each ended in some horrific destruction or madcap chase and speedy getaway. Staying a day or two rather than stretching the time out for months was better, though. No time to get attached—not that they wanted to with any of these particular worlds.

 _We need a break_ , Kurt thought. The last few worlds had been intense and challenging. They'd almost lost Alistaire on one, Kitty on another. He lay stretched out on one of the benches while the train once again rode the sidereal stream, a bumpier ride than usual, and more than once he almost fell off. There'd be no sleeping on this trip for anyone. He sat up, rubbed his head where he'd bumped it on the last jolt of the train, and caught Kitty's eye across the aisle. The fond look she gave him made his chest feel tight. Losing any of them was a frightening prospect, but coming so close to losing _her_ had been terrifying.

“Let's do something fun,” he said, as she grabbed a handrail on a particularly jarring buck of the train.

“Fun? You mean you aren't having fun?” She bounced clean off the seat with a yelp at the next jolt.

He barely managed to keep from launching himself across the aisle to grab her. He covered by chuckling softly. “ _Ja_ , of course. But did you ever wonder what we do with the other cars we're pulling along on this crazy adventure?”

“One is the kitchen, we sleep in some, and the rest are storage, I think.”

He stood up, bracing his feet apart as the train rocked. “Let's go see if there's any fun to be had.”

“Right now? We'll be thrown out the window!”

He held out his hand, the other gripping the overhead rail, and Kitty gave in. She trusted Kurt with her life, and if he promised to keep her safe, then he would.

The train rocked and swayed, and Kitty kept a tight grip on Kurt's hand as they passed through the front cars they used regularly, and finally emerged in the second to last car. It was a basic passenger car, similar to the one they used as their main living space now.

“Thrilling,” Kitty muttered, unimpressed.

“ _Ja_ , nothing useful here.”

 _Useful_? What did the elf have in mind? “What are you looking for?”

“Not this,” he replied and pulled her through the connection to the last car.

It was empty. No seats, no storage racks, nothing at all. Most likely it had been intended for storage at some point. Possibly it had held equipment that was commandeered by the British government or W.H.O.

“Finally, a space we can use,” Kurt said, extending his arms out in mock triumph. The train jerked harshly up and down, and Kitty's hands grasped at the air. Kurt's reflexes were good, though, and he caught her before she hit the ceiling. He stood now with his arm casually draped across her shoulder, surveying the empty train car like a king and his kingdom.

“All right, Kurt, what's this all about? What do you need an empty train car for?”

“To play!” he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. The ceiling was too low for tumbling, but Kitty didn't think that's what he had in mind. He took her hand as he inspected the sides of the car, mumbling to himself now and then, while Kitty trotted along behind him, afraid to let go.

He left her beside one of the hand rails. “Be right back,” he said, and left in a puff of smoke, only to return moments later with a radio and a chair. One more trip for another chair and a crate that could work as a table. “ _Perfekt_!” He turned to Kitty and bowed. “Welcome to Paris!”

Kitty looked around, then back at Kurt, and burst out laughing. “That stuff's just gonna fly around and kill us,” she complained. He looked hurt, so she put her hand on his shoulder and said, “I never thought I'd find myself in Paris with a cute, blue German guy, while hurtling through dimensions.”

“Now that is shameless flattery,” he said, as his smile relit, and he plugged in the radio. It didn't work of course, but there were tapes left behind by the previous owners, and one had pretty good, if dated, music. He pressed play and a Duke Ellington song began to play. Taking Kitty's hand, Kurt spun her before catching her back in his arms. “I accept it. Shall we dance?”

As if Kitty would say no. She loved dancing, and Kurt was good at it. She found the smile creeping back onto her face as the first, second, and third songs played. Even with the rocking of the train, which seemed to be easing at last, she was having fun. He was right. They had needed this.

When she paused for breath between songs, she said, “I wish we could go dancing for real. At a club or something, just for fun.” He was holding her close, his hands on her back. She had tipped her face up to speak to him and seemed unable to look away. The longer she stood in his arms, the more her belly began to swirl and her mind to reel with new and very different thoughts about her friend. She became acutely aware that he was not just her friend, but a _man_ , warm and strong and—she swallowed with some trouble.

“Why don't we?” he said, swaying her back and forth now. Had he noticed her sudden discomfiture? A night on the town, _Kätzchen_? Surely one of the worlds we land in will have a place to dance, assuming we don't make it home first?”

“Okay. But—”

“And if not, we have this now.” He spread one arm wide again and grinned. She couldn't help smiling back. He was impossible to resist when he was genuinely happy.

“Deal. A night on the town at the first decent world we come to.” Kurt let go of her to turn over the tape and play the second side.

The train shuddered and bucked wildly, and Kitty pitched forward, grabbing Kurt's arm for support. They were hurled against a wall, where he put one hand around her waist and kept the other on the grab bar. Kitty locked her arms around him and pressed her cheek against his chest. She could hear his heart beating.

At last the train skidded to a halt, and he released her slowly, as if reluctant.

“Better go see where we are,” he said.

Kitty was sorry they'd stopped. She tried to tell herself they might be home as they made their way to the front cars. But all she felt was disappointed. The team stared out the windows of the main room at an underground tunnel. Wires hung from busted out ceiling tiles, and the floor was littered with debris. Grimey walls held broken frames with old movie posters, faded and dusty.

“Looks like a deserted subway. Guess it's time to take a look,” Rachel said.

The group poked around the apparently abandoned space, which seemed more and more to be, in fact, an old subway station. The stairs were blocked with rubble, but were cleared easily enough. They emerged in an abandoned lot, surrounded by buildings and streets. It was night and few people were about.

“This feels oddly familiar,” Kurt said as they crept along the street. He stopped short outside the first building. “ _Mein Gott_ , we are in— _Germany_?”

Kitty felt dread seeping through her limbs and the blood rushing from her face. She said a silent prayer that they hadn't arrived in the train's original world, one in which the nazis had won the war. The same thought had occurred to the rest of the team, and they closed ranks around her.

Indeed, all the signage was in German. Kitty could feel the buzz of fear and excitement coming from Kurt at the prospect of being home—not just home in their own realm but possibly also his _personal_ home. A quick search of the shops soon told them they were in Berlin—West Berlin, specifically. A collective sigh of relief escaped the group and they made plans to gather more information before making any definitive determinations. They'd been to plenty of worlds that seemed like home at first, only to be off in some small but vital way.

“I'd like to look around a bit more, see what else I can learn about this place,” Kurt said. “I want to be certain about where we are.”

“We should exercise extreme caution,” Brian said. “We don't know where we are and the possibilities could be dangerous.” He shifted slightly closer to Kitty.

“Everyone is so angry,” Meggan agreed.

“I think they have merely had enough of oppression,” Kurt said. The group found a vantage point where they could observe the growing crowd near a wall they could only assume was the Berlin Wall. For years this country had been torn in half, and now, it seemed on the verge of making changes. If the wall existed, then it was likely they were not in the nazi dimension.

Could they somehow be home after all?

“I'm not convinced. Let's see what we can learn by watching. A day or two should be enough time to figure out where we are,” Brian said.

Kurt alone stayed out late, watching and listening, while the others picked up discarded newspapers and magazines and returned with them to the train. Rachel and Kitty settled at the fold-out table with the publications and tried to find clues. Rachel flipped through the magazines, noting the ads seemed the same, and the articles seemed familiar. There were a few mentions of other countries, too, which seemed to support the hope that they were not in that nazi realm.

Kitty turned the television on, and they flipped through the stations. Most were in German, but a few were other languages: French, Spanish, even one in Russian.

Kitty's grasp of the language was still elementary, and some of the headlines were German words she couldn't yet understand. She wished Kurt would come back from scouting. It was late when he did, but he seemed hopeful when he arrived, teleporting in with a German beer and a bag of pastries to share. She noticed the fluttering warmth that bloomed in her chest when he arrived. Funny she'd never really paid attention to it before. Now she couldn't seem to ignore it.

As the team gathered around, Kurt reported his findings. He handed out the treats and bit into the bread. “It's definitely German bread,” he said, and opened the beer. “And definitely German beer. _Gott_ , _es ist so gut_!”

“Can I taste?” Kitty said.

He regarded her for a long moment, then slid the beer towards her without a word. Kitty laughed, patted his arm, and pushed it back. “I'm only teasing. I know how much you love your Dinkelacker.”

“Well, if Kitty doesn't want a taste, I do,” Rachel said, reaching for it.

“ _Keine Chance_. This is mine.” Kurt changed the subject quickly. “Everything looks very much like our world. Though I'm curious as to why we have arrived in Germany rather than England. Every other jaunt has brought us to some version of the British Isles, even Barsoom, for all its strangeness.”

No one had any answers.

  
  


Jet lag, Kitty thought, has _nothing_ on dimension lag. It was night when they emerged from the tunnel system, and her body told her to go to bed. But she hadn't been awake long enough to sleep, so now she lay on the bunk, resting, but not sleeping.

Kitty pondered Kurt's question about their location. Why were they in Germany? She got up and padded out to the main car. She wasn't the only one awake. Kurt was eating a pastry and hanging from the ceiling.

“Can't sleep, either?” she said.

He dropped down. “ _Nein_. It's too—I keep hoping...”

“I know,” Kitty said. “I keep wondering why we're in Germany instead of Britain. I can't make it make sense for our world. I'm not convinced we're there.” Kurt stood up and quietly motioned her to sit with him. He rummaged in the bag he'd brought, and pulled out the last two pastries.

“It feels right, in so many ways,” Kurt said. “But I'm not sure about anything, not yet. I would like to find something definitive. I think tomorrow I will do some more investigating.”

“I'll be stuck here most likely,” Kitty said, finishing her treat and casting about for a napkin. “That last big bounce tore up some of the electrical systems.”

“Too bad,” he said. “They might have a dance club around here.”

She hadn't thought of that. “It won't take me all day to fix it if Brian or Rachel helps.”

Kurt's grin cut through the darkness. “Then tomorrow, after you're finished with the train, we'll go dancing.”

“Great! As long as you aren't out too long reveling in the German life.”

“I wouldn't dream of it. I have something better to look forward to. Perhaps dinner as well?” He didn't look at her.

“Have to eat to dance,” she said, and she thought her voice only trembled a little.

Outside in the abandoned station, rats and scurried through the dimness. Inside, there was only the sound of their breathing. “I should at least _try_ to get some sleep,” Kitty said at last. “Thanks for the pastry.”

“I think I'll sit up a little longer,” Kurt replied. “ _Gute Nacht, Kätzchen_.”

She started to leave, then before she could lose her nerve, went back and kissed his cheek before disappearing through the connecting space between the cars.

  
  


A few restless hours of sleep was all she managed. After a quick breakfast, Kitty began inspecting the damaged electrical systems, while Brian gathered the necessary tools. Alistaire, Meggan, and Rachel headed out to gather supplies, and Kurt had planned more reconnaissance. He was determined to find out if this was their Germany— _his_ Germany—or some variant thereof. He had already gone into the city when Kitty got up.

She and Brian, and Rachel when she returned, worked on the electrical systems. More had been damaged than Kitty first thought, but they still managed to get it all repaired before their stomachs began to grumble for dinner. Kitty's stomach began fluttering for reasons besides food. A night out, _dancing_. Really dancing, somewhere fun, with real music and maybe a DJ or a band...she was excited at the very idea.

She was changing out of her uniform when Widget woke up. When Kitty came back to the main room, the tiny metal head was flying about, looking for scraps of electronics to eat. They had a stash of such things now, to prevent the little creature from eating the train itself.

“Is Kurt back yet?” Kitty asked as she tried to calm Widget.

“No. And he's ignoring my psychic calls. I haven't gone full emergency on him yet, though,” Rachel said. “Should I?”

“No, I think we have time,” Kitty replied. No dancing tonight. “But maybe I should go look for him.”

“He's by the wall. Be careful. Stay on this side,” Rachel said as she took Widget from Kitty.

“Of course.”

  
  


Kitty hurried through the crowds, conscious of the sight she made in her now unnecessary Barsoom outfit, but concerned more with getting to Kurt before Widget decided to send them hurtling through space-time again. When she found him, he and Irene Adler were pinned to the Berlin Wall by Sabretooth. Kitty reached through and pulled them all towards her. Lockheed fried Sabretooth's face to prevent him from tracking them.

“Don't mess with my friends!” Kitty shouted over Kurt's protests.

“Kitty, we might be making a mistake,” he said. “Irene—”

Irene shook her head. “I'm sorry, but this is not your world, and my answers are not for you, Nightcrawler.”

Kitty took his hand and started airwalking them over the crowds. When Kurt looked back, Irene was gone.

“I'm sorry, Kurt. I know this place felt like home, but it's the wrong world.”

“It's not so bad, though,” he said, still protesting. “You dressed to dance, _K_ _ä_ _tzchen_. I suppose we're calling it off?”

“Widget's ready to go. It's not really a choice. I'm sorry.”

He stopped arguing and let her phase him into the train. The moment they were on board, Widget jaunted them. The train moved smoothly this time through the dimensions and stopped quickly. It was one of the shortest jaunts they'd made yet. Maybe they were close to home after all?

Rachel took care of Kurt's wounds—three long gashes from Sabretooth's claws and mended his uniform. He noticed Kitty's disappointment, and felt a surge of determination to take her out. Damn the multiverse, he wanted to go out with her. He wanted to take her to dinner, and then dance with her in his arms while she looked at him the way she had been lately. The way she was _right now_. She blushed, then turned to look out the window with Meggan.

Meggan took one look at the new world and dashed Kitty's hopes. “Definitely not the right world,” she said. Kitty rested her forehead on the window.

  
  


Kurt went to the sleeping car and returned in one of his own Barsoom outfits. He had several and had kept all of them. Sometimes he was funny like that. He was probably saving them to use in the Danger Room in some of his pirate scenarios. Kitty's mouth twitched when she saw him.

Why had she never noticed how much fun he was—or rather, why had she never noticed that when she was having fun with him she was happier than almost any other time? And when had she begun to notice that he was so good looking? It had taken her a long time to adjust to his demonic appearance when she was younger, but then he'd simply become _Kurt_ , and she no longer noticed those things. Had she stopped noticing _everything_ about him? He stepped into the main car, shutting the connecting door behind him, and she inhaled quickly. Barsoom outfits surely didn't leave much to the imagination, and damn, he did wear them well.

The rest of the team now gathered at the windows to admire the scenery. The world they were in was incredible—a purple-blue sky was filled with stars, and structures that reminded Kitty of whalebones rose up, black against the sky. It was eerily beautiful. Kurt approached her, straightening part of his chestplate.

“What are you doing?” she said, gesturing to his outfit.

He eyed her own, and she felt the blush creeping up her neck.

Kurt said, “I hoped we could still go out, and if not, then I'll be all the more dashing when fighting villains.”

“Luckily, Rachel, Brian, and I got all the repairs done, and the others got our supplies before we had to leave.” He put a hand on her waist, and his tail wrapped lightly around her legs. The touch was almost a caress, and Kitty held her breath.

“You're going out dressed like that?” Rachel said, giving Kitty a funny look.

“Sure. Kurt and I deserve a night on the town, Ray. Wanna come?”

“No, I think I'll stay here with Alistaire.” Rachel thought at Kitty, 'You two behave.'

Kitty thought back, 'You, too.' Then she noticed Kurt's expression as he watched Rachel and Alistaire. “Don't worry, Lockheed will keep an eye on them,” she said.

“I heard that, Kitty,” Rachel said. 'You know Alistaire is just a friend. Can I say the same for you and Kurt?'

'Shut up, Ray,' Kitty thought.

  
  


They knew nothing about this new world, so their first step was to insure their own safety. For all they knew, the world was populated with killers or demons or any number of assorted dangers. Maybe there were no restaurants or dance clubs or people or _anything_. The train had set down in another station of sorts, this one modern and slick, but just as empty as the last one. The strange whalebone structures reached up to the sky in one direction, and in the other was an open space with large doors at one end.

They headed towards the bone structures first, because Kitty wanted to see them. Kurt held her hand and as they walked he mused about his encounter with Irene Adler. “She spoke to me as if I were her child.”

“We've seen so many versions of ourselves, Kurt. She said that wasn't our world, that her answers weren't for you. She probably knew another version of you.”

“Yes but—”

“Kurt,” she said, stopping and turning to face him. She held his face in her hands, and he pulled her closer. “The family of blood is chance. What matters most is what we do next, the path we take and the family of friends we choose along the way.”

He seemed reluctant to let her go, and she rested her hands on his shoulders.

“When did you get so smart?” he teased.

“When I started listening to you.”

He pulled her into a warm embrace, and she relaxed, letting her head fall onto his shoulder. He brushed a hand through her hair and whispered, “ _Mein_ _K_ _ä_ _tzchen_ , you have always been smart. And brave. And I...” he paused a beat and continued, courage failing him. “I am so glad you are my friend.”

“I love you, too,” she said. She held her breath and waited for something awful to happen, for him to push her away, or laugh, or turn it into a joke. He didn't though. He settled her closer against him and pressed a kiss into her hair.

“Ah, Katzchen,” he said, and she could feel the rumble of his voice where she turned her face towards the crook of his neck.

She wanted to press her lips into that valley and see what he would do. Instead, she stepped back. “Should we, um, go see if there's any dancing on this world? Or food?”

“ _Ja_. _Ja_ , of course,” he said, taking her hand again. The whalebone structure led nowhere, so they returned to the open room, and the beckoning doors at the far end. “It seems the only way to go.”

“Let's see what's behind door number one, then.”

As they approached the tall doors, they could hear music from beyond.

“Sounds like that neverending Barsoom party,” Kitty said, her ear pressed to the door. She tightened her grip on Kurt's hand and phased their heads through, just enough to see. “Oh my god,” she said.

“Is this real?”

“It's...”

They stepped fully through the doors. “A dance party!” they both said.

“Do you think Widget knew?” Kitty asked as Kurt swept her up in his arms, lifting her feet off the floor. They twisted and spun through the crowd to a comfortable spot.

“I don't know, but I don't think I care. We're here, so let's have some fun, _ja_?”

“Yes. I think we both deserve a very fun night.” She blinked up at him as he pulled her in from a spin. He pressed a quick kiss to her lips, then spun her out again.

When she twirled back to him, she leaned up and kissed him back. She spun out of his grip and stopped a few paces away. Kitty laughed as he came closer, sweeping her up in his arms and kissing her. She parted her lips and wrapped her arms around his neck so he couldn't spin her away again. His lips were soft and warm, and the flick of his tongue sent shivers through her.

When he stepped back at last, Kitty's eyes were shining. Her head was spinning a little, from the kiss and the dancing. She had to figure out now, while she still had some wits about her, what she wanted to do tonight. She didn't think she'd be clear-headed later if they kept this up. Every press of his lips made her want more.

The music changed, and swelled again, and he grabbed her hands and held her close, more of a waltz this time, so that she was pressed against him for the entire dance while he kept his eyes riveted on her. When it ended, he didn't let her go and she didn't want him to.

She reached up, put her hand on his face as she had before. “Having fun?”

“ _Ja_. Are you?”

She let her hand drift down his cheek to his chest. “Yes.”

He swallowed then his gaze moved around the room. “Ah. There is food. I believe I promised dinner, but I don't know—”

“This is fine. I'm not that hungry. For food.”

He almost tripped.

The food wasn't anything familiar, but it was tasty and filling, and the music started again, a fast beat that made Kitty's feet tap. He watched her move to the beat for a few minutes before joining her. Every time he met her eyes, he thought his heart might leap from his chest. She had never looked at him like this before. Had she always felt this way?

Kurt had noticed another door on the far side of the massive room and he wondered where it led. If Kitty was serious and not just teasing him— _Gott_ he hoped she wasn't teasing—they would require a private place to get away. He wondered what this world held in that regard. The train would be his last option. He didn't want to make love to her on the floor of that empty train car, and neither did he want to announce his intentions to the whole team by kicking Alistaire out of their shared train car.

She brushed against him and he caught her, kissed her again, with more fervor. She returned his enthusiasm, parting her lips and dragging her fingers up to the back of his neck. His pulse raced and he ran his hands down her bare arms, trying not to imagine how smooth the rest of her skin might feel. He felt her thigh move against his and a spark of desire flitted through his stomach.

“ _K_ _ä_ _tzchen_ ,” he breathed as his mouth moved down her neck, trailing kiss after kiss. She was intoxicating, and each touch of his lips to her skin made him want her more.

Kitty sighed and pressed closer to him, hands moving to his waist and sliding over the fuzzy skin exposed there. Someone bumped into them from behind, and Kurt lifted his mouth from her neck. He used the opportunity to talk to ask, “ _K_ _ä_ _tzchen_ , how much... _fun_ do you want to have tonight?”

The corners of her mouth lifted slowly as she hooked her fingers over his belt to hold him close. “All of it.”

His mouth was hot on her skin, and she found herself pressing against him, holding him close while her hands moved across the bare places on his back. Emboldened by his response, she let her hand fall back to his hip, which was bare to his waist. Her fingers slipped under the edge of the draped fabric covering his backside, and she felt as much as heard him growl.

He covered her mouth again, letting the taste of her fill his senses and obliterate any thoughts he might have besides _her_. They could have been alone for all he was aware of the other inhabitants of the crowded room. He moved one hand to her shoulder, daring to let his thumb brush the skin below her collarbone. She shivered lightly and tugged him closer.

Kitty finally leaned back, breathing fast, but not from the music. “What now?” she said when she could speak.

Kurt felt like a fumbling teenager again. He needed a minute to breathe, to think. “Let's take a walk and see what there is besides this crowded space. I want to be alone with you.”

She put her hand in his and they weaved their way through the throng of still-dancing strangers, towards the second set of doors, and out into the night. It was a balcony overlooking a body of water that was as black as the sky, and reflecting the same stars. A set of stairs led down to the water from one end of the balcony, and they went in that direction. Down by the water it was less crowded, but there were still people strolling in the moonlight.

They walked in the direction that seemed least busy. The night was pleasant, not too chilly, and as they walked farther from the party, the path ended. They found themselves at last alone in some type of grassy space still overlooking the water. It was a garden, they discovered as they continued on, and there were paths and green spaces and benches under some of the trees. Kurt led her to one of those benches and they sat in silence a few minutes, just looking out at the garden and the water beyond.

“Can I ask a question?” Kurt said.

Kitty tipped her head up in answer. “Sure.”

“What's going on tonight?”

She shrugged. “I got tired of pretending, I guess.”

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “ _Sehr gut_ , I'm glad.” He put his arm around her shoulders and lifted her chin with one finger. He left kisses along her cheek and jaw until she was craning her neck in search of more. “If we were home,” he began.

“We aren't. We're here and it's enough.”

His eyes grew wide as she climbed onto his lap and pressed her lips to his. He kissed a path down her neck and across her shoulder, silently thanking the fashion designers of Barsoom for their ingenuity. His hands roamed her back and sides, finding every space where he could feel her skin. She made soft noises as she gently nipped the edge of his ear and curled her fingers in his hair.

Kitty felt like a wild woman, as if the turbulence of their adventure had finally seeped into her blood and pulled from her something she normally kept caged. She didn't care that they were sitting on a bench in the open, and she didn't care that people could walk by. She cared only about Kurt pressed against her, hard and wanting, and the warmth spreading to her limbs from her belly and lower. “Kurt,” she whispered and moved her hand down his chest. In one pass she pulled away the alteration to her garment she'd made for modesty's sake and held it carefully—she couldn't go back without her underthings.

She sat back a little, breaking his kisses. “Want yours off too?” she said, hiding behind lowered lashes. He could only nod, and watch as she pushed aside the swath of fabric to give a single tug to his briefs. Her hand brushed his erection and he gave a low moan. He grabbed her hips and pulled her closer so he could feel the heat of her.

He wished for a proper bed, a place where they could be alone and relax and he could treat her the way he felt she deserved. His thoughts were fleeting, as her hand moved between them to close around him, and for a moment there was nothing but the feel of her hand moving over him. He reached down to find her wet, and she whimpered and squirmed when he stroked her. He leaned forward to kiss her greedily, until their hips moved in sync and they were both making needy sounds that echoed off the dark water. Kitty lifted her hips and slowly lowered herself onto him. Kurt hissed through clenched teeth as she gradually surrounded him.

Her arms were tight around his neck and she moved slowly, closing her eyes each time he filled her. She whispered his name into his shoulder and her legs began to tremble. She clenched around him, crying against his neck, and he let himself go. He held her, too tightly he thought, as he came, but she was holding him just as fiercely.

She leaned against him, tension giving way to lethargy for long minutes until she caught her breath. Kurt ran his hand up and down her back, saying things to her in a mix of German and English she didn't bother trying to understand. She used the tip of one finger to trace patterns in the fur over his heart, making him twitch when she tickled him.

“When we get home to our world, I am going to make love to you properly, in a bed, all night long.” He picked up the hand that teased him and kissed each finger.

“Is that a promise?” she said coyly.

“It is.”

He kissed her again, as if to seal the promise. It was a long, lingering embrace, a caress of lips that tempted her to start things all over again.

“Is it time to go back already?” Kitty said when he pulled away.

“Probably. We'll have Rachel screaming in our heads if we stay too long.”

Still she didn't move. Who knew when they'd have a chance to be alone again? Every day was a guessing game in this adventure. Kitty reluctantly extricated herself from his lap and they tidied themselves for the walk back. They strolled along the water, talking quietly, not hurrying. Back they went, through the busy noise and crush of the dance party, and across the empty space of the terminal to their train.

Everyone was asleep except Widget, who was bouncing up and down again. Kitty washed up and changed, and met Kurt in the main car for a goodnight kiss. Widget chose that moment to jaunt, but Kurt kept his footing as the train flew through time and space. He helped Kitty to the car she shared with Rachel before heading to his own. Then he lay wide awake a long time, wondering where they'd end up next and whether they would ever have another opportunity like this one.

  
  


The landing was another rough one, as the train skidded through a mile of dirt to an abrupt stop that sent Meggan flying, and Brian tearing after her. Kurt and Alistaire began repairs to the mechanics beneath the train. Kitty turned on the television to see if there were any stations, and reported to the team that every channel was nothing but car races. And apparently the most famous racer in this world was none other than Jamie Braddock.

 


	2. Couples Night Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The version in which they have already established a relationship.

Rachel closed the hole in the side of the train after Kitty hauled Kurt inside. Widget barely hesitated before jaunting them into the sidereal stream. Kurt's side ached where Sabretooth had mauled him, aiming for Irene Adler at the Berlin Wall. Or rather, a copy of the Berlin Wall, he corrected. It hadn't been home after all.  Rachel set to fixing his side and his uniform while Kitty updated him on the status of the train and the team.

Kurt had really hoped this was home. Long months of spinning without direction through worlds unknown and unfamiliar, battling strange and dangerous enemies, or making friends only to leave them behind when they were hurtled again through the multiverse was starting to take its toll on the team. Kurt had really, really hoped they were home. Everything seemed right, even the tension in his home country. Germany was on the cusp of change, and he so dearly wanted it to be real—to be true—but fate would not comply today.

Kitty pulled him back to reality after Irene Adler, the precognitive from the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, confirmed that the world in which they found themselves was not their own. He wanted to go after her and ask her more questions, but Kitty wasn't hearing it.

“I've got Rachel yelling in my head and out of it. Widget's ready to go,” she'd said even as he lamented being unable to follow Irene.

Once inside the train, she had stopped chastising him and tried instead to cheer him up. Leave it to Kitty, he thought, to fuss one minute and smile the next.

He moved his arm out of Rachel's way and turned his attention back to her. She had Widget in her hands, petting the strange silver head that was the source of their frustration and hope. If only Widget could get them home.

“But first,” she said, “Kurt and I deserve a night on the town!” Yes, she _did_ know how to cheer him up.

She flashed him a smile and his heart turned over. Rachel stood up, finished with his injuries at last, and he teleported back to the train car he shared with Alistaire. He returned shortly, dressed to match Kitty in her Barsoom outfit, which meant a _very_ fun night out indeed. His belly swirled with anticipation.

Finding time alone was not easy, being stuck on a train together. The unknown worlds weren't much help, either. There was too much fighting, or too many enemies, or too much chaos and confusion to carve out a few intimate moments. Barsoom had been the exception. The wonderful, unbelievable exception.

  
  


The train stopped easily in an empty space. It looked like an abandoned station, but it was pristine in its cleanliness. Out at the edges of the open floor, however, the cleanliness turned to ruin. Broken bits of buildings reached to the sky like fingers trying to grasp the stars. Kitty spun as they walked across the empty space near the train, and the flowing bits of fabric spun out. She giggled when she caught him staring.

“Come on,” she said, grabbing his hands. “Let's find out what kind of fun we're going to have tonight.” She tugged his hand and he picked up the pace, letting her lead the way to one of the exits. It opened onto a street. Far from deserted, the street was bustling with activity as if it were the middle of the day. People who looked a lot like humans wandered in and out of vendors selling food and clothes and trinkets.

“It's like New York,” Kitty said, as they quietly observed before choosing a direction. Kurt wanted to take her somewhere to eat first, but currency would prevent that. He didn't have time to consider his options more, as Kitty spotted a crowd of people congregating in a park. He could just make out the sound of music floating across the night air.

“An outdoor concert. Shall we join them, _Katzchen_?”

They moved through the crowd, standing out more for not being quite the humans these people were and less for their choice of clothing. But the surreptitious glances died away when the music started again. Kitty turned to face Kurt, and before leading her in the first of many dances, he kissed her. He loved the way she pressed her whole body against him, the way her fingers tickled the back of his neck, the little dove sounds she made when he tasted her lips.

Anjulie had been an unfortunate mistake on his part, falling prey to her advances like a novice, but one good thing had come of it: Kitty. She'd been so angry with him she hadn't spoken to him for a whole day, and when she did, he realized she was angry because she was hurt and a little jealous. He'd labored under the idea she was pining for Alistaire, when all along it had been _him_.  And he, in his short-sightedness, had never imagined it could be possible.

He returned his thoughts to the present, focusing on her smile and her laugh and the spark beginning to burn in her eyes as the night wore on. Kitty leaned back against him, pulling his arms around her waist, while she caught her breath after a long, energetic song. The edges of her hair were curling tightly from sweat, and there was a sheen to her skin that reminded him of how she looked after their first night together on Barsoom.

He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Let's go home.”

She pressed her backside against him teasingly. “Do you think Alistaire is asleep?”

“I don't know— _stop_ , I can't walk out of here if you keep that up.” He put his hands on her hips and stilled her. “You are wicked sometimes, _Katzchen_.”

She laughed and reached behind her to scratch the back of his neck. The song was ending and the crowd was beginning to disperse. She turned in his arms and leaned up to kiss him. The blood sang in his veins and he wished, for the thousandth time, that they were home. “I'm not wicked,” she said, running her thumb along the edge of his ear so that he closed his eyes briefly. “You're just afraid Rachel hasn't kept Alistaire up long enough for him to fall asleep on the bench.”

They began walking back to the train, Kitty humming one of the unfamiliar tunes as they went. “I should make him share with Brian,” Kurt said.

“Ha, as if he'd let that happen. It's fine. We'll get home soon. Right?” She looked at him then, expecting his nod of agreement, unwilling to acknowledge how improbable her statement was.

The train was dark when they arrived, except for a dim glow from the front car. Kurt teleported them directly into his and Alistaire's. The space had a curtain, recently added, and on the other side, Alistaire's bed was empty.

“I owe Rachel, I think,” Kitty said, even as Kurt was pulling her into his arms and pressing warm lips to her neck.

She reached for the clasps behind his chestplate and he shrugged the shoulder pieces off and grasped the top of her own garment. One thick hook in the back undid the entire thing, and it fell to the floor beside his with a clatter, muffled by the puddle of fabric from his cape. Kitty sighed as he pushed the lower portions off her hips, and phased to let them fall away. Kurt quickly shed the rest of his clothing and ran his hands down her arms and sides before gently lowering her to the bunk. He kissed her everywhere, taking his time, and paying careful attention to all the sensitive places that made her whimper and whisper his name.

Kitty savored the feel of his fur on her skin, his lips as he kissed and sucked her belly, his hands as they coaxed her legs apart. She stifled a moan as he licked her, his tongue putting pressure in just the right spot. She arched her back and grasped at the sheet, while the tension coiled tighter with each flick of his tongue. She covered her mouth to keep from crying out when she came, then reached for Kurt, scrabbling at his back to bring him up to her. She kissed him, heedless of the taste of her on his mouth, and raised her knees along his hips.

Kurt came to her then, eager to feel her surrounding him, to feel part of her for a few moments. He loved her, and meant to show her every time they were together. She completed something that had been missing in him, that he didn't even know had been lost.

They lay together afterwards, wrapped in Kurt's blanket, and whispering quietly. Kitty's eyes grew heavy, but before she fell asleep, she pressed a kiss to his cheek. In the morning there would be the awkwardness of finding her clothes, but for now, there was only the two of them, worlds away from their own dimension, but somehow still home.

  
  


 

**Author's Note:**

> If you aren't familiar with Excalibur and the Cross-Time Caper, the world with Jamie Braddock is where Kitty is separated from the team. She winds up in 616 alone, while the rest of them finish up the adventure. They don't find her again for quite a while. Barsoom is the world they visit in the previous issues, which ends with Nightcrawler telling Kitty he's glad she came to the X-Men and glad she stayed, and hopes they'll always be there for each other.


End file.
